The FOX network turned 25 in April 2012. We look back at the best and most important shows it aired over its first 25 years.

2/27

'Married ... With Children' (1987-97):

The very first prime-time series FOX aired (its first program was a late-night talk show with Jo... Show More »

The very first prime-time series FOX aired (its first program was a late-night talk show with Joan Rivers that debuted the previous fall) was pretty much the anti-"Cosby Show," starring the crass, not-very-loving Bundy family, which never learned a lesson at the end of the episode. It was also a flagship for the network for a decade, picking up a host of loyal fans along the way. « Less

3/27

'21 Jump Street' (1987-91):

It's best-known now as the show that made a star of Johnny Depp (and inspired the Channing Tatum-Jonah... Show More »

It's best-known now as the show that made a star of Johnny Depp (and inspired the Channing Tatum-Jonah Hill movie remake), but "21 Jump Street" also tapped into an underserved teen and young-adult audience and created a rabid fanbase -- a strategy FOX would duplicate to great success with shows like "Beverly Hills, 90210" a few years later. « Less

4/27

'The Tracey Ullman Show':

The sketch-comedy/variety show introduced British comedienne Ullman to American audiences and featured musica... Show More »

The sketch-comedy/variety show introduced British comedienne Ullman to American audiences and featured musical numbers choreographed by Paula Abdul. It was a reliably funny show, but its real legacy is ... « Less

5/27

'The Simpsons' (1989-present):

What began as a series of roughly drawn short cartoons on "The Tracey Ullman Show" has become the longes... Show More »

What began as a series of roughly drawn short cartoons on "The Tracey Ullman Show" has become the longest-running scripted series in the history of prime-time TV, and arguably the best comedy ever as well. Even if only, say, 150 or 200 of its 500-plus episodes could be considered truly great, that's still an unparalleled record in television. « Less

Several of FOX's early shows were decried as subversive, dangerous for kids and basically the end of civilized society as we know it. Not these two. "Cops" (which is at least as much about gawking at the sorry state of the arrestees as it is celebrating the work of police officers) and "AMW" (which migrated to Lifetime in the 2011-12 season) gave the network's Saturday night a distinctly law-and-order feel. Both became institutions. « Less

7/27

'In Living Color' (1990-94):

FOX made a real effort to target African-American audiences in its early years (see also "Martin," "Living... Show More »

FOX made a real effort to target African-American audiences in its early years (see also "Martin," "Living Single" and "New York Undercover"), and with this often-hilarious sketch-comedy show it achieved crossover success too. Created by Keenen Ivory Wayans, the show boasted a cast that also included Damon Wayans, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier and Jamie Foxx, among others, while Rosie Perez and Jennifer Lopez were both Fly Girls dancers. « Less

8/27

'Beverly Hills, 90210' (1990-2000):

The teen soap of the 1990s started out with a different title ("Class of Beverly Hills") and a fair... Show More »

The teen soap of the 1990s started out with a different title ("Class of Beverly Hills") and a fairly genteel tone, but soon enough we were getting stories about Brandon taking U4EA, Kelly and Dylan hooking up while Brenda was away for the summer, "Donna Martin graduates!" and more stories burned into the collective memory of Generation X. As FOX expanded to programming every night of the week, the original "90210" became a cornerstone of the network. « Less

9/27

'Melrose Place' (1992-99):

Spun off from "Beverly Hills, 90210" at the end of that show's second season, "Melrose Place" followed ... Show More »

Spun off from "Beverly Hills, 90210" at the end of that show's second season, "Melrose Place" followed a group of young adults living in the same apartment building -- and quickly developed a reputation as the wildest soap in primetime. We'll never forget Kimberly ripping off her wig to reveal the crazy-making brain-surgery scar on the side of her head. « Less

10/27

'The Ben Stiller Show' (1992-93):

In addition to being hilarious, this short-lived series (it lasted only 13 episodes as FOX tried to c... Show More »

In addition to being hilarious, this short-lived series (it lasted only 13 episodes as FOX tried to counterprogram against "60 Minutes") boasted a remarkable cast and crew at the beginnings of their careers. Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick and Bob Odenkirk were the on-camera stars, and the writers room included the likes of Judd Apatow, David Cross and Dino Stamatopoulos -- aka "Community's" Starburns. « Less

11/27

'The X-Files' (1993-2002):

Yes, things went downhill for the series after the first movie, and yes, some of the big questions the show ... Show More »

Yes, things went downhill for the series after the first movie, and yes, some of the big questions the show raised were never answered, at least not satisfactorily. But "The X-Files" definitively proved that sci-fi could work in primetime, and when it was working at its highest level it was simply one of the best shows on TV, regardless of genre. « Less

12/27

'Party of Five' (1994-2000):

Though not as big a hit as previous FOX soaps, "Party of Five" had a fiercely loyal audience that helped s... Show More »

Though not as big a hit as previous FOX soaps, "Party of Five" had a fiercely loyal audience that helped sustain the story of the orphaned Salinger kids and their various (and many) loves for six seasons. It also pretty well launched the careers of Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Scott Wolf, Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Love Hewitt. « Less

13/27

'Ally McBeal' (1997-2002):

As FOX turned 10 and some of its original shows started to age, along came a young lawyer in a short skirt t... Show More »

As FOX turned 10 and some of its original shows started to age, along came a young lawyer in a short skirt to capture the zeitgeist for the network once more. "Ally McBeal," with its dancing babies, unisex bathrooms, oversexed attorneys and surfeit of David E. Kelley weirdness, was as big a watercooler show as existed in the late '90s. « Less

14/27

'King of the Hill' (1997-2010):

After "The Simpsons" (and until "Family Guy" passes it in a couple seasons), "King of the Hill" is the ... Show More »

After "The Simpsons" (and until "Family Guy" passes it in a couple seasons), "King of the Hill" is the longest-running scripted series FOX has ever aired. It's also, for our money, one of the best at developing and maintaining well-rounded, believable characters. It was only two-dimensional in the sense that Hank and Co. were drawn on paper. « Less

15/27

'That '70s Show' (1998-2006):

It overplayed the period trappings a little bit in its early days, but once it got over that tic, "T... Show More »

It overplayed the period trappings a little bit in its early days, but once it got over that tic, "That '70s Show" was one of the more consistently amusing comedies on TV during its run. It also featured another FOX signature, a cast on the brink of greater fame, as it made stars out of Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Topher Grace and Mila Kunis. « Less

16/27

'Family Guy' (1999-2002 and 2005-present):

A cult favorite for its first three seasons, then just a plain old hit after its unlikely re... Show More »

A cult favorite for its first three seasons, then just a plain old hit after its unlikely return to FOX in 2005, "Family Guy" is the centerpiece of the Seth MacFarlane animation empire that now makes up most of the network's Sunday-night lineup. It was also an early and hugely important example of how passionate fans can keep a show going. « Less

17/27

'Malcolm in the Middle' (2000-06):

The received wisdom when "Malcolm" debuted in January 2000 was that single-camera comedies didn'... Show More »

The received wisdom when "Malcolm" debuted in January 2000 was that single-camera comedies didn't work, particularly not ones centered on a kid who talks directly to the camera and whose family is so deeply weird. You only have to look at the landscape of TV comedy now to know how wrong that thinking was. "Malcolm in the Middle" was a huge part of changing it. « Less

18/27

'24' (2001-10):

Premiering in the wake of 9/11, "24" became a political lightning rod for its depictions of the often-extreme methods J... Show More »

Premiering in the wake of 9/11, "24" became a political lightning rod for its depictions of the often-extreme methods Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) used in hunting down the latest terrorist threat. But at its best the real-time thriller was a fantastic ride, and it proved that unconventional scheduling -- beginning with Season 4, FOX moved the show to midseason and ran it basically without interruption -- could work. « Less

19/27

'American Idol' (2002-present):

It started as a summer series with some good advance buzz but a format not seen on TV in a long time: W... Show More »

It started as a summer series with some good advance buzz but a format not seen on TV in a long time: Would people tune in to see aspiring singers compete for a record contract? By the time 20 million people watched Kelly Clarkson win the first season, the answer was in. "Idol" has been a giant hit ever since. « Less

20/27

'Firefly' (2002-03):

Here's how much those who watched "Firefly" loved it: Ten years later, fans are still discussing it online an... Show More »

Here's how much those who watched "Firefly" loved it: Ten years later, fans are still discussing it online and even scheming for ways to revive it. FOX didn't treat Joss Whedon's space western especially well in its brief run, airing episodes out of order and on Friday nights, but we're not sure it would have even made it to air at other networks, so there's that. « Less

21/27

'The O.C.' (2003-07):

"The O.C." was so self-aware about the tropes of teen drama, and so well-cast and -written, that even those of us... Show More »

"The O.C." was so self-aware about the tropes of teen drama, and so well-cast and -written, that even those of us who were a little too old to care about whether Marissa and Ryan were really meant for one another (because Seth and Summer were the more interesting couple anyway) could watch and enjoy it deeply without any pangs of guilt. « Less

The cornballer, Bob Loblaw, spider holes, never-nudes, "I'm a monster!," Motherboy XXX, "There's money in the banana stand" and one of the best casts on TV working at a very high level: This is the story of Michael Bluth and his family, and it achieved such cult status that Netflix is reviving the show. It's "Arrested Development." « Less

23/27

'House' (2004-12):

No broadcast series of the past decade has created a better antihero than Dr. Greg House. The ensemble around him ha... Show More »

No broadcast series of the past decade has created a better antihero than Dr. Greg House. The ensemble around him has been consistently great too. « Less

24/27

'Bones' (2005-present):

We wouldn't necessarily call "Bones" ground-breaking television, and we suspect the people who make it wou... Show More »

We wouldn't necessarily call "Bones" ground-breaking television, and we suspect the people who make it wouldn't either. What "Bones" does, though, is take one of the oldest formats in the medium -- the crime show -- and make it feel fresh and fun thanks to a mix of fine acting, adroit writing and visual flair, plus a slow-burn romance for the ages. « Less

25/27

'Fringe' (2008-present):

Like "The X-Files" before it, "Fringe" largely set aside its monster-of-the-week format early in its run and b... Show More »

Like "The X-Files" before it, "Fringe" largely set aside its monster-of-the-week format early in its run and became the better show for it. Even when it goes a little too deep down a particular rabbit hole, the quality of the acting (in particular the father-son relationship between John Noble and Joshua Jackson) keeps the show emotionally grounded. « Less

26/27

'Glee' (2009-present):

Whatever your thoughts on the inconsistency of its characters or the Season 2 over-reliance on tribute episodes ... Show More »

Whatever your thoughts on the inconsistency of its characters or the Season 2 over-reliance on tribute episodes and other stunts, it's hard to deny that "Glee" hit a nerve among a sizable portion of the viewing public. You may love it or hate it, but you're still talking about it. « Less

27/27

Special mention: The NFL on FOX (1994-present):

Before it outbid CBS for rights to NFL games starting with the 1994 season, FOX was still seen as... Show More »

Before it outbid CBS for rights to NFL games starting with the 1994 season, FOX was still seen as mostly a minor player in the broadcast game. That it was willing (and able) to spend the money to get the NFL was a giant step toward the big time. « Less